Friday, May 8, 2009

Self Tanning

This year I've decided to try and get a little color on my scary white flesh. I noticed that my sister had a nice glow going when I saw her last weekend and she informed that it was a bottled tan. These have come A LONG way from when they first came out and everybody looked orange, so I decided that I would give this a try as well. I have to think that it is better than laying out and baking in the sun using baby oil to "enhance" the burning and scarring.

Mind you, in the past when I lived in complexes with pools I would set Memorial Day weekend aside and spend all Saturday and Sunday out by the pool slathering on the baby oil (or Tropicana Coconut Oil - SPF negative 20) reading and drinking and slipping in the pool to cool off. Memorial Day Monday was always spent slathering on Aloe Vera and praying that the blisters would go away before I had to go back to the office on Tuesday.

Well, back to present time....I went to Target (one of the best stores in the world) and purchased some Nivea Sunkissed Lotion for legs, which is also supposed to slow down the need to shave, and some Jergins sun lotion stuff. I've now been using these for 2 days. I have to say that I think the color is coming in. I don't look quite like death and according to the bottle it will only be enhanced.

My only concerns are for some reason my skin has a strange odor to it. It smells sorta like it would when I would go to tanning booths. I don't know if anybody else can smell it, and I'm sure as heck not going to go up to people and ask them if I smell, so it might just be in my head (plus I admit that I am VERY sensitive to smells). My other concern is whether we really know that this stuff isn't going to cause some sort of health problems 30 years down the road (not that it'll matter for me because 30 years from now I'll one foot in the grave anyway). I mean, they used to think laying out in the sun wouldn't cause damage.

Oh well, I guess I can't worry too much about this. Lord knows I'm damaging my body in so many other ways that adding a little color to it can't be that harmful....

5 comments:

On Gossamer Wings said...

I know the Jergins lotion that you have, and I LOVE it! The tan comes in slowly, and you don't look like a day-glo freak overnight. All self-tanners have the same odor to me: beef jerky. Fortunately, I don't think that others can smell it, particularly when it's in the lotion.

And remember, when you are as pale as we are, self-tanning can be a public service. Goodness knows I don't want to blind anyone with the sunlight reflecting off of my pasty white legs!

Queen B said...

I've tried either the Jergins or the Loreal, and I totally agree. #1 it does work pretty effectively... not too much, not streaky. I've had a couple of issues where it colored one specific nail, or I had a splotch, probably due to the dogs licking it off.

Also, yeah, there is a smell. Sometimes it smells good. Chris has even remarked that I smell good after using it. But there have been a few times where I stunk like I'd been at a tanning salon. good times.

Jenn Ann said...

Part of me thinks I should do something about my albino legs. The other part of me can't commit to the process

Jane said...

And your pictures are where??

Kim Thomas said...

Ask Jane for pictures of her self tanning....